Recently the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed chairman-cum managing director of the IRCTC, New Delhi and its zonal general manager at Mumbai to pay to the complainant-consumer, jointly or severally interest at the rate of ten percent per annum on Rs.10, 020 amount of cancelled tickets already refunded by them from December 15, 2018 till the date of actual payment. April 4, 2019.In view of the deficiency in service, delaying the refund and thus causing mental and physical harassment the forum has penalized the IRCTC.
As per information, the forum has also ordered the respondents to pay jointly or severally to the complainant Rs.15000 for physical and mental harassment caused to him and Rs.5000 by way of legal expenses incurred by him, within 30 days of receipt of the copy of this order/judgement.
The complaint was filed by a city lawyer; Ritesh Badhe.He had booked four railway tickets for Pune and back to Nagpur on IRCTC’s website on September 21, 2018 for travelling on December 20, 2018 and return journey on December 26, 2018.
He had cancelled the tickets because he was in waiting list. The respondents had assured the complainant that he would receive the refund of the amount paid for cancelled tickets between September 22 and November 13, 2018.This assurance had shocked him, because he had cancelled tickets only on December 14, 2018.